ICT Year 10 Term 3 Revision Pack - 2025/2026

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering System Software, Storage, Networks, Security, Databases, Web Development, and Spreadsheet concepts based on the IGCSE ICT Revision Pack.

System Software

A category of software that runs the computer itself, including operating systems, utility programs, and device drivers.

Application Software

Software used by the user to complete specific tasks, such as word processors, spreadsheets, databases, and web browsers.

Operating System (OS)

System software that controls hardware, manages files and memory, and provides the user interface.

Utility Programs

Programs that help maintain or manage the system, such as disk defragmenters, anti-virus, file compression, and backup utilities.

Compilers

Programs that translate high-level programming code into machine code (binary) all at once.

Interpreters

Programs that translate and run high-level code line by line, which is slower than compilers but useful for debugging.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

An interface using Windows, Icons, Menus, and Pointers (WIMP); it is easy for beginners but uses more RAM and processing power.

Command Line Interface (CLI)

An interface where the user types text commands; it is faster for experts and uses fewer resources but requires memorising syntax.

SSD (Solid-State Drive)

A storage device using flash memory with no moving parts; it is highly durable, silent, and offers very fast access times in milliseconds.

HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

A storage device using spinning magnetic platters and read/write heads; it is cheaper per GB and higher in capacity but vulnerable to drops.

Blu-ray Disc Reader

An optical storage device with a capacity of $25\,GB$ to $100\,GB$, used for high-definition video.

Router

A network device that connects two or more networks together (typically a LAN to the internet WAN) by reading destination IP addresses in data packets.

IP (Internet Protocol) Address

A unique identifier for every device on a network, such as $192.168.1.10$ (IPv4) or $2001:db8::1$ (IPv6).

Switch

A device that connects devices within a single LAN and forwards data only to the intended recipient using MAC addresses.

Sensors

Devices that measure physical quantities and convert them into electrical signals for a microprocessor to interpret.

Actuator

A component in a control system that receives a signal from the microprocessor to perform an action, such as opening a window or turning on a fan.

Expert System

A computer program designed to mimic the decision-making ability of a human expert, using a knowledge base, rules base, and inference engine.

Inference Engine

The "reasoning" part of an expert system that applies IF-THEN rules to the knowledge base to draw conclusions based on user input.

Direct Changeover

A system implementation method where the old system stops and the new system starts immediately; it is the fastest but riskiest method.

Parallel Running

A changeover method where the old and new systems run side-by-side for a period to allow for verification; it is the safest but most expensive method.

Pilot Running

A changeover method where the new system is introduced in one branch or department first before being rolled out elsewhere.

Phishing

An attack where fake emails impersonate a trusted organisation to trick users into clicking links and entering credentials on fake websites.

Pharming

A cyberattack where malicious code poisons a DNS server to automatically redirect users to fake websites, even if the correct URL is typed.

Lossy Compression

A method of reducing file size by permanently removing some data; used for formats like $.jpg$ and $.mp3$ where small size is prioritised over perfect quality.

Validation

Automatic checks performed by the computer to ensure data is sensible, reasonable, or within acceptable limits.

Verification

Methods to check that data has been entered correctly without typos, such as double entry or visual checks.

Primary Key

A field that uniquely identifies each record in a database table; no two records can have the same primary key.

Foreign Key

A field in one database table that refers to the primary key of another table, used to link the two tables together.

Formula

A calculation in a spreadsheet written by the user themselves using cell references and operators, always starting with an equals sign ($=$).

Function

A built-in calculation defined in spreadsheet software, such as $=SUM(A1:A10)$ or $=IF(F2>50,\text{"Pass"},\text{"Fail"})$.

HTML (HyperText Markup Language)

The web development layer responsible for content and structure, including headings, paragraphs, images, and links.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

The presentation layer of web development that controls the look of the page, including colours, fonts, and layout.

JavaScript

The behaviour layer of web development that adds interactivity, such as responsive buttons and form validation.

Absolute Reference

A cell reference in a spreadsheet that does not change when copied, using dollar signs to lock the row and/or column, such as $=\$A\$1$.